Scholarship details
The Government of the Slovak Republic offered the National Scholarship Program of the Slovak Republic in 2005. This initiative aims to support students, Ph.D. students, university educators, researchers, and artists. The funding for scholarships under this program is drawn from the state budget of the Slovak Republic, as well as from the European Union’s NextGenerationEU initiative. This support falls under the larger context of the theme titled “Support of internationalization of the academic environment” and the specific Component of “Attracting and retaining talent” within the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic.
The primary objective of the National Scholarship Program of the Slovak Republic is to encourage the mobility of international students, Ph.D. students, university educators, researchers, and artists. This involves providing scholarships for their stays at higher education institutions and research organizations in Slovakia.
Source: Slovak Academic Information Agency
The scholarship’s eligibility will be subject to certain limitations. The following is a list of the areas of support that the scholarship will not encompass:
- Ineligible for support: International students and PhD students already accepted for full degree higher education (bachelor, master, doctoral studies) in Slovakia, or those currently pursuing such studies in Slovakia intending to fund their education through the NSP.
- Not eligible: University teachers, researchers, and artists without a PhD degree (or equivalent), but with over 4 years of experience as a university teacher, researcher, or artist by the specified application deadline. Exceptions might be considered under special circumstances (e.g., force majeure) by the scholarship program administrator, after consulting the selection committee. Applicants without a Ph.D. degree and having 4 to 7 years of experience could be eligible, but their scholarship amount would match those with less than 4 years of experience.
- Excluded: International applicants who have spent a cumulative total of 15 or more months in the Slovak Republic during the 36 months before the application deadline.
- Not considered: International applicants currently benefiting from scholarships in Slovakia via other publicly funded programs such as the International Visegrad Fund, Erasmus+, CEEPUS, bilateral agreements, and similar initiatives.
Eligible Applicants:
A) Students:
- University students from outside Slovakia.
- Master’s students or those with 2.5 years completed in the same study program.
- Study stay in Slovakia during higher education.
- Accepted by Slovak University for academic mobility (excluding Ph.D.)
- Duration for Students: 1 – 2 semesters or 1 – 3 trimesters.
B) PhD Students:
- Engaged in education outside Slovakia.
- Accepted by Slovak institution for academic mobility.
- Duration for Ph.D. Students: 1 – 10 months.
C) International Teachers, Researchers, and Artists:
- Invited to Slovakia for stay.
- Invitation by the eligible Slovak research institution.
- Duration for Teachers, Researchers, and Artists: 1 – 10 months.
General Eligibility for all Types of Students:
- Citizens of any country (except Slovakia) can apply.
- Must have good communication skills in oral and written English.
Scholarship Summary
- Applicant’s Nationality: International
- Degree Level: Any
- Field: Any eligible fields related to the scholarship program
- Number of Awards: NA
- Duration: NA
- Scholarship Country: Slovakia
- Scholarship Awards: Living Stipend
- Renewable: Yes
- Offered Annually: Yes
Application Procedure:
- Apply online at www.scholarships.sk.
- The online system opens at least 6 weeks before the deadline.
- Apply early to avoid last-minute system delays.
- Applications are accepted in Slovak or English; unofficial translations may be accepted.
- Upload scans of documents issued by others; keep originals for verification if needed.
- Under force majeure, documents without signatures or official confirmations may be accepted initially, but signed documents must be submitted later.
- For reapplying due to force majeure, explain the circumstances clearly in the application.
Application Important Note
To consider exceptional situations during the selection process, the applicant must provide a comprehensive explanation within the application (e.g., as a separate attachment). The administrator will evaluate their potential influence during the formal assessment for selection purposes.
The application should be submitted online before the deadline. This involves completing the online form, attaching necessary documents as specified, and finalizing the submission by clicking “SEND.” Note that all fields must be completed and attachments uploaded to submit the application.
Required Documents
As part of the application process, the applicants must submit the following:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Motivation Letter
- Study Program Details which state the starting date of classes, duration, list of subjects that the applicants choose to study during their stay, and number of credits that applicants will be gaining on their respective subjects.
- Two recommendation letters must be issued by applicants’ professors, the letters should contain the position and contact numbers, the signature of the referee, and must have a clear identification of the institution.
- Confirmation letter issued by the applicant’s home university or institution
- Bachelors degree diploma
- Admission letter issued by the host university in Slovakia which also indicates the period of stay and that the university will commit its institution to accept the applicants for their studies.
- List of publications or artistic activities
The applicant holds responsibility for ensuring the application’s overall completeness and the accuracy of provided information and attachments.
Scholarship Benefits
The successful applicants wil be awarded with a living stipend or cost related to their stay in Slovakia, this includes their food and accommodation. The amount will depend on the successful student’s degree and will be awarded on a monthly basis.
Scholarships and travel allowances (travel grants) are not subject to legal enforcement. The allocation of financial support from NSP funds depends on satisfying all formal program requirements specified in the relevant call for applications, the applicant’s qualifications, the proposed stay’s significance and necessity, and the budget availability within the NSP for the specific application period.
Application Deadline
The deadline to complete and submit the application is until October 31, 2023. late and incomplete applications will not be considered.
